A new hotel may change Bell Gardens

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The southeastern corner of Los Angeles is changing. The Azalea Project, which will open in 2014 in South Gate, is a new shopping center that will include restaurants and retail stores.

But that is not project that brought California Governor Jerry Brown to Southern California on Tuesday. It is the launch of the new hotel at the Bicycle Casino.  The governor was in Bell Gardens to help launch the project.

Brown, along with State Senator Ricardo Lara, says this new project will bring attention to the city and take it in a new direction.

According to the Bureau Labor Statistics, Bell Gardens has an unemployment rate of 17 percent. 

The casino will provide 300 construction jobs and 250 permanent ones.

But some see embellishes in this project.

Bell Gardens resident Jose Rivera feels that the casino gives a Las Vegas feel to the city and the hotel will add to that.

The casino, however, provides more than 40 percent of the city's general fund. But by 2015, when the hotel opens, that number could increase.